Steering apparatus



UNrrED STATES PATENT oFFroE. l

i ABIJAH R. TEVKESBURY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

' STEERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ABIJAH R. TnwKEs BURY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new or Improved Steering Apparatus fo-r Navigable Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, letters, figures, and references thereof.

Of the said drawings Figure l, represents a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2, is a central and vertical section of it. Fig. 3, is a top view of the case that surrounds the rudder head and is fastened to the deck of the vessel. Fig. t, is a top view, and Fig. 5, is a side view of the gearing and mechanism attached directly to the rudder head.

In the said drawings, A, denotes the rudder head coming up through the deck B, of a vessel. It is made cylindrical and surrounded concentrically with its axis by a hollow frame or case C, which is firmly fastened down upon the deck. The upper or internal surface of the case C, is provided with a circular ring or flange D, whose two opposite quadrantal arcs are formed on their inner curved surfaces with racks or teeth a, b, while the other two opposite quadrantal arcs c, d, are left without such.

The rudder head has a strong metallic cap E, which is made t-o inclose it and has four arbors or journals e, e, f, f, extended upwards from its top and near its circumference they being arranged at equal distances apart. A

On each of the two arbo-rs e, c, a gear wheel g, and a pinion h, are placed and made to revolve, t-he gear g, being fastened to the pinion L. Each of the other two arbors f, f, is similarly provided with another such gear g', which is fastened to a roller or wheel c'.

While the two pinions z., h, are made to engage respectively with and play into the racks a, b, the peripheries of the rollers c', z', are arranged respectively in contact with the inner surfaces of the quadrantal arcs c, d.

All the four gears g, g, g, g, are made to engage with one pinion 7c, which is arranged between them and fixed on an up,- right shaft Z, that is suitably supported on the rudder he'ad, so as to be capable of being revolved by power applied to it, a hand 12,250, dated January 16, 1855. 1

or steering wheel I, being fixed at its upper end as seen in the drawings. Directly above the gears, g, g, g, g, and resting on their arbors, there is a circular disk or plate K, which is confined to the several arbors by screw nuts Ic', c, &c., and screws cut on the arbo-rs, the object o-f such plate being to keep the arbors and wheel in place or in their normal position with respectto each other.

Over the plate K, and so as to rest on the top of the case O, is a cover I, which simply rests on the case and protects the gearing from rain or dust.

The case C, may be provided with ahorizontal slit or opening for the reception of a tiller whenever it may be necessary to use one, the tiller being passed through such and inserted into the rudder head. represented in the drawings, although as a general thing it is not to be used in the rudder head when the steering apparatus is in good repair and operation.

By rotating the steering wheel the four gears g, g, g, g', are set in motion, and the pinions of two of them work in the stationary curved racks of the case C. They will as a matter of course, produce a rotative movement of the rudder head. In case the rudder should be lifted by a heavy sea, the` pinions will be free to rise in the racks and no damage to the machinery will ensue.

By means of t-he rollers c', i, and the curved parts of the ring against which they roll when the rudder is being turned, the correct positions of the teeth of the pinions in the spaced between those of the racks are pre served and so as to prevent inequality of wear von, or injury to the teeth.

The steering apparatus so made and applied to the rudder head is'simple, cheap and efficient in its operation andbesides it is one not likely to get out of order, while the vessel having it is. at sea.

I am aware that mechanism similar in some respects to that employed by me to move the rudder has been applied to capstans. The parts constituting the steering apparatus have never as I believe been arranged and applied to a rudder and the deck of a vessel in the manner which I have above described.

What I claim isrlhe arranging the rudder head within a concentric or surroundin frame or case C, fastened to 'the deck and applying on the It is top of the rudder head and Within the case not liable to injurously derange the maas described,` :r driving shaft gearing and Chinery.

one or more curved racks f internal cogs, In testimony whereof I have hereunto sei;

the Whole t0 be operated by a. hand Wheel my signature this eleventh day of May. 5 applied to turn the' shaft substantially as A. D. 1854.

specifed the said arranffement of parts rendering 'their combinatim not only eX ABJAH R' TEWKESBUR'Y' ceedingly eicent and compact as a. steering Witnesses:

apparatus, but one wherein the lifting or R. H.`EDDY7 10 raising of the rudder by a Wave or sea is F. P. HALE,J1. 

